At that, Harris slid his fingers through Sam’s hair, pulling him close. “Gods, none of us think we fit together.”
Sam chuckled. “I guess not.”
Harris pressed a kiss to Sam’s forehead. “You’re staying with V and I, Sam. You’re welcome here.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah. Valen’s calmed a bit since you got here. I think he’s happier with someone to protect. Someones—you, and the baby.”
Sam flushed a pretty pink. Harris couldn’t help smiling, his chest filling with warmth. He ran his knuckles down Sam’s chest, resting on the bump of his belly. “Regardless of our relationship, I care for you and yours. If you ever need any help, I’d be happy to provide it.”
Sam blinked hard. He looked tearful, and Harris’ heart clenched.
“C’mon, don’t cry.” He pulled Sam against himself, savoring Sam’s warmth, the way he leaned easily into Harris. It was the way Nicholas had needed Harris, too. Harris recognized that low, possessive rumble in his chest now.
Maybe he didn’t just like Sam, maybe he loved Sam.
“Thank you,” Sam said, his voice rough. “You’ve been way too generous with me.”
“Can’t take that money with me past the grave, can I?”
“Don’t talk about that.” Sam winced.
Harris snorted. “You and Valen both. Can’t mention death to you.”
“It is really depressing.”
“It’s something I have to consider,” Harris said. “There are things I want to do before I die. When you get old like I do, you realize your priorities change.”
“What are yours?”
At first, Harris had thought he’d want to see the world, travel before he lost his mobility. Then he’d started dating Valen, and he’d thought about seeing Valen for as long as he could, until Valen inevitably left.
Now, with Sam... There wasn’t just one more life to consider. There were two.
“I want to see you and the baby healthy,” Harris said. “Valen, too.”
Sam chuckled, his eyes glistening. “Gods, you really are generous.”
Before Harris could answer, Sam cupped his cheeks and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Harris’ lips.
“I love you,” Sam whispered. “I realize that now.”
Harris’ pulse stumbled. If Sam and Valen both loved him, then there was no way they’d let Harris go, was there?
He pressed their foreheads together, sighing. “What am I gonna do with the both of you?”
“Make up with Valen,” Sam said. “We should visit him.”
Yeah, they were going to. And what Valen had to say about that new bonding mark... Harris wasn’t sure. They hadn’t discussed it yet.
He breathed Sam’s dahlia-and-honey scent deep into his lungs, holding him. If the three of them ended up together... If Harris sucked it up and admitted that he loved Valen, would Valen forgive him?
It wasn’t like Harris could apologize enough for putting Valen in the hospital. It wasn’t like they could fix their relationship in a day.
But at the hope glimmering in Sam’s eyes, Harris didn’t have the heart to say no.
20
Valen
Valen stared at the whitewashed ceiling of the hospital room, breathing into his oxygen mask. He felt fine. Slight headache. His nose and throat burned every time he sucked in a breath.
He’d spent hours in the hospital. Woke up once, thought he’d seen Sam by the window. He’d fallen asleep again, and the next time he’d woken, Sam was gone.
Was Harris worried? Did he care?
It wasn’t like they’d been close last week, when Valen had gone and given Harris the cold shoulder. Probably shouldn’t have done that. If Harris pulled something like Valen had, Valen would’ve flipped out.
So maybe Harris was damn fucking pissed with Valen. Valen gulped.
He glanced at the tiny TV in the corner, flipped through the channels with the remote. Nothing caught his eye. The news played footage from the fire last night—four casualties, some injured.
Valen had tried his best to look for a crying child, except he’d gotten smoke in his mask. Then he’d gone under, and it was a miracle he was still alive, with the apartment complex as large as it was. Harris should’ve been focusing on the rest of the rescue. Not extracting Valen from the mess.
All told, Valen could’ve died. His injuries could’ve been a lot worse. He hadn’t spent long in that building, had he?
Gods, Big H’ll have my head for this.
He turned off the TV, cataloging the room. Curtains were drawn over the sun-facing window, open blinds at the corridor-facing window. Two plastic chairs by his bed, one side table. Seemed sterile, like the other times Valen had gotten himself hospitalized.
The oxygen concentrator hissed. Valen breathed, trying to get more air into his lungs. Not the first time he’d had smoke inhalation, but this was probably the worst.
It seemed an eternity between the nurse visits. Strangers walked by the door. Then two people stopped outside the ward, an alpha and an omega, and Valen’s heart crashed into his chest. The machine beeped.
Sam barreled into the room, his eyes wide. “You’re awake!”
Been awake for hours, Valen wanted to say, except he started coughing when he tried to speak.
Sam froze, peering worriedly at him. Gods, Valen loved that omega.
Behind Sam, Harris strode in, his eyes fixed on Valen. Hard to read his expression, harder when his lips thinned. “Why’s the monitor beeping?”
Because I’m excited to see you, damn it! Valen pulled the mask off, so at least they could hear him talk.
Harris strode forward, shoving the mask back onto Valen’s face. He glared. “Damn it, V.”
Then Harris pulled his warm hand away, and a tiny part of Valen wilted. Looked like Harris was furious with him.
Valen breathed in, looking at the white sheets of the hospital bed.
“I was worried about you,” Sam said, coming to stand beside Harris. “Harris was, too.”
Valen looked up at them both. Harris met his eyes, then looked at the heart rate monitor again. “Your pulse is going nuts. Where’s the nurse?”
“Gods, Big H,” Valen said. And then coughed, pain scratching through his throat. Didn’t help his pulse.
“Fuck.” Harris glowered, stalking out of the ward.
Valen watched him leave, his chest squeezing tight. He was
